Fracture and extension apparatus.



'E. 0. ONION 8; 0. D. SNIVELY.

FRAOTURE AND EXTENSION APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY27, 1910.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

EMORY 0. UNION, 01F S'UMIVHJ'M, AND 13...

FRAGTURE All!) EXTENSION APP.

Licence.

Specification. of .Letters Patent.

Patented Au Ed, 1914.

Application filed July 27, 1910. Serial l lo. tii i flfll.

To all 'LU/hOWb it may concern:

lite it known that we, Erronr 0. Union and Gimmes D. SNHZGLY, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at

lilummum and lpava, in the county of Fulton and State of llllnols, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fracture and Extension Apparatuses. of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of our specification.

The object of our invention. is to provide a device which is more especially applicablc for use in connection with fractures of limbs, or curvature of the spine and sii'uilar dijl'liculties; the object being; to provide an apparatus into which the fractured limb or portion of the body may be placed. to not only act as a support, but also enable tension to be applied so that the contracted muscles may be tl'ioroupghly expanded and, in the case of a fracture. permit the fractured bone to be properly set and maintained in such condition.

The apparatus may also be applied to other uses, possessing a number of adrantages that will be apparent from the construction shown in the drawing and described in detail in the following specifier.- tion.

In the drawin e7:-l+ip;ure 1 is a plan view of our improved apparatus with the right hand portion thereof being; shown partially in section. 2 is a View taken on the line Q--2 of 1 looking toward the left of said figure. Fin. 3 is a detail View of a modified form: while Fig. 4 is a cross-sec tional view of Fig. 3, to more clearly show the relation of the mechanism whereby the device may be expanded.

The apparatus is preferably so formed that it may be readily applied to or fitted about a limb or body; the side pieces being preferably made substantially straight.

while the ends are bowed to conform with.

the curvatureof limb or body, thus forming what may be termed a cradle in which the limb or portion to be treated rests.

The apparatus is preferably made of metal or other suitable material possessing; the requisite rigidity, and comprising the two portions of members a and b bent into ll-shape, with the middle portion. of the Ll preferably bent soimewb at at an angle to the side portions for the purpose previously stated. Que of the members, to wit, member opposite side of the fracture.

a, preferably hollow in the nature of tubing to receive the side or end pl ions of the member 7), as clearly suown in Fig. i. o prefer to have the inside diameter ol" the legs or side portions of member a slightly larger than the diameter of the side portion or legs of the member 7) so as to provide a slight play between the incml'iers and thereby enable one side or leg; of member 7) to he extended somewhat beyond. the other with out causing the mirts to bind. The legs or side portions of the member Z) are screw threaded as indicated. at to receive the nuts (Z which take against the ends of 1ueuiher o as shown in 1 urul These nuts (Z control the relation between the two members a and as is readily apparent from the construction shown: by turuizur the nuts (Z. in one direction. it islevideut that they will force the mcn'iber i) ol'ltward and thereby extend the apparatus. ll ith the nuts or members (Z talrino; :urainst the ends of the member a they will rn'event the telescoping of said members.

The member a. provided with the two rings 6, c or other suitable mechanism. preferably secrui'ed at diametrimlly opposite points near the point where the member a is bowed. lit [ember h is also provided with. similar mechanism or rings t. i. also located at diametrically opposite points: the rinoys being; preferably so arranged that the distance between the rings c and f on both. sides of the apparatus will normally be spaced the same distance apart.

When it is desired to use our improved apparatus, for example, in connection with a fractured. arm, the arm is first provided with bandages or boots to opposite sides of the fracture: the arm is then placed in the apparatus with the bowed portions of the members beneath the arm; straps or cords are then secured throuuh the rings f, to the adjacent boot or bandage, while straps or cords are also passed through the rine's e, c, and secured to the adjacent boot orbandaege which has been placed to the The nuts or means (Z, d are then turned in a direction so to force the members a and 7) in opposite directions causing the apparatus to be expanded. lVith the boots or bandages secured to their respective set of rinse, it is apparent that the arm or limb. and its muscles will. be put under tension; and the nuts are turned until the muscles have been drawn or stretched sufiiciently to permit of the setting of the fractured bone; the apparatus being left in place and in its eX- tended condition until the fracture is suliieiently healed, or bandaged.

If for any reason it is desired to obtain a greater amount of tension on one side than on the other, the fact that the inside diameter of member a. is somewhat larger than the diameter of member 6, will permit of the means, on the side the greater tension is required, being turned until that side of the apparatus is more extended than the other.

it is apparent from the description just given that our apparatus may be applied to other uses, as for instance in connection with a curvature of the spine, where it will be desired to have a greater amount of tension on one side than on the other. Furthermore, our construction permits of an increasing or diminishing amount of tension being ap plied from time to time as the nature or condition of the case requires.

In Fig. 3 we have shown a modification wherein the member a is provided with a worm wheel 9 which is suitably secured to both legs 01" the member a by the housing h. The sides or legs of the member a are cut away at a point adjacent the Worm wheel 9 so as to permit the wheel to extend into the member a and mesh with the teeth with which the ends or legs of member 6 are provided. With this construction it is of course only necessary to have the teeth or threads formed on one side or" the legs or member I) as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thus providing what may be termed a rack and pinion construction. It 1s apparent from tlns construction that the operating means will not only force the telescopic members apart, 40

that is, expand the device, but will also lock or maintain the members in their adjusted positions.

TTe have illustrated and described the simplest forms of our invention, but it is readily apparent that these constructions may be altered in a number of details without departing from the spirit of our inven tion, and we do not wish, therefore, to be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact construction shown and described, but

What we claim as our invention and wish to secure by Letters Patent is A device of the class described, comprising a pair of substantially U-shape telescopic members, the ends or legs of the inner memher being screw threaded, the portions of both members intermediate of their ends being bowed at an angle to the axes of said 7 EMORY O. ONION. CHARLES D. SNIVELY.

Witnesses WILLIAM. A. SHAFFER, HATTIE E. SNIVELY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

